WEBVTT 3 THE FOLKS AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN HAVE FOUND A SWEET WAY TO BEAT THIS SUMMER TIME HEAT... WHAT BETTER WAY TO HELP COOLS THINGS OFF THAN WITH A NICE SLICE OF WATERMELON. DAVE WILLIAMS TAKES US TO THIS ANNUAL TRADITION.3 JUST A WEEK INTO HIS NEW JOB AS GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT, DR.JAIMIE HEBERT WAS DONNING AN APRON TO SLICE UP SOME TASTY WATERMELONS FOR THE SCHOOL'S FACULTY, STAFF AND ALUMNI. IT'S JUST ANOTHER ONE GEORGIA SOUTHERN'S LONG STANDING TRADITIONS THAT MAKES EAGLE NATION SPECIAL."TRADITIONS ARE WHAT TRANSITION THAT HERITAGE FROM ONE GENERATION INTO THE NEXT AND SO A TRADITION LIKE THIS YOU SEE THE EXCITEMENT, YOU SEE WHAT IT DOES FOR MORALE AND IT JUST BRINGS TO LIFE EVERYTHING THAT THIS WONDERFUL UNIVERSITY IS." THIS WATERMELON CUTTING, WELL, IT'S JUST NOT SOME FLY BY NIGHT OPERATION, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON HERE AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN FOR THE LAST 69 YEARS."IT WAS DURING DR.ZACH HENDERSON'S PRESIDENCY THAT THIS STARTED, I THINK IT ALSO HAD A LOT TO DO WITH 69 YEARS AGO HOW MANY BUILDINGS WERE AIR CONDITIONED AND IT WAS JUST A NICE COOL TREAT TO THANK THE FACULTY AND STAFF AND BRING THEM OUT FOR CELEBRATION DURING THE SUMMER." DESPITE THE LONG STANDING TRADITION, IT'S ONE THAT RECENT GEORGIA SOUTHERN GRADUATE DILLON MARCY HASN'T EXPERIENCED UNTIL TODAY."OH, DEFINITELY, IF I KNOW IT WAS THIS MUCH FUN, IT WAS THIS DELICIOUS I WOULD HAVE BEEN DOING IT FRESHMAN YEAR, I LOVE IT, IT'S GOOD." IN STATESBORO, DAVE WILLIAMS WJCL 22 NEWS.3 EVERY YEAR, THERE ARE OVER 200 EVERY YEAR, THERE ARE OVER 200 WATERMELONS PUT ON ICE TO READY FOR THIS TRADITION.

The folks at Georgia Southern have found a sweet way to beat this summer time heat...

What better way to help cools things off than with a nice slice of watermelon.

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Just a week into his new job as Georgia Southern University President, Dr. Jaimie Hebert was donning an apron to slice up some tasty watermelons for the school's faculty, staff and alumni.

It's just another one of Georgia Southern's long standing traditions that make Eagle Nation special.

"Traditions are what transition that heritage from one generation into the next," said Dr. Hebert. "And so a tradition like this you see the excitement, you see what it does for morale and it just brings to life everything that this wonderful university is."

This watermelon cutting, well, it's just not some fly by night operation, this is something that's been going on here at georgia southern for the last 69 years.

"It was during Dr. Zach Henderson's Presidency that this started," said Wendell Tompkins, Director, Ga. Southern Alumni Relations. "I think it also had a lot to do with 69 years ago how many buildings were air conditioned and it was just a nice cool treat to thank the faculty and staff and bring them out for celebration during the summer."